sedan
11-11-2006, 11:57 PM
Motorists charged over fine excuses
John Kidman
November 12, 2006
* Dishonest motorists face jail
POLICE have launched a statewide crackdown on more than 200 traffic offenders suspected of using false identities to escape fines.
The scam has involved motorists filling out false statutory declarations to escape countless speeding fines, parking tickets and other petty infringements since late 2002.
While not sure how the racket became so widespread, police said 238 people in their sights had relied on just two identities - one belonging to a Sydney man who died seven years ago and another who had repeatedly moved interstate.
The operation followed a high-profile police investigation into former judge Marcus Einfeld, who is accused of nominating a deceased friend as the person behind the wheel of his car in order to avoid a $77 speeding fine.
The NSW State Debt Recovery Office has examined all 700,000 similar declarations over the past three years.
Strike Force Kindilan began locating the fraud suspects about eight weeks ago. A victim of the rort was astonished that his name had been used to commit almost 100 of the offences, Superintendent Daryl Donnolly said yesterday.
"I for one was also shocked at the spread of people involved," Superintendent Donnolly said.
"Those making the declarations resided in 42 [police] commands . . . as far north as the NSW Central Coast and south to Wollongong."
He said the maximum penalty for each of the offences was up to five years' jail.
The value of the scam is so far estimated at $80,000.
Word of mouth, the internet and chain letters were all being considered as ways the details of the ruse had been circulated.
More than 30 people have been taken into custody, and it was expected many more would be interviewed by tomorrow.
Three days have already been set aside for later this month and early next month by various local courts to hear the hundreds of charges expected to be laid.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/motorists-charged-over-fine-excuses/2006/11/11/11SpamSpamSpam61949584.html
John Kidman
November 12, 2006
* Dishonest motorists face jail
POLICE have launched a statewide crackdown on more than 200 traffic offenders suspected of using false identities to escape fines.
The scam has involved motorists filling out false statutory declarations to escape countless speeding fines, parking tickets and other petty infringements since late 2002.
While not sure how the racket became so widespread, police said 238 people in their sights had relied on just two identities - one belonging to a Sydney man who died seven years ago and another who had repeatedly moved interstate.
The operation followed a high-profile police investigation into former judge Marcus Einfeld, who is accused of nominating a deceased friend as the person behind the wheel of his car in order to avoid a $77 speeding fine.
The NSW State Debt Recovery Office has examined all 700,000 similar declarations over the past three years.
Strike Force Kindilan began locating the fraud suspects about eight weeks ago. A victim of the rort was astonished that his name had been used to commit almost 100 of the offences, Superintendent Daryl Donnolly said yesterday.
"I for one was also shocked at the spread of people involved," Superintendent Donnolly said.
"Those making the declarations resided in 42 [police] commands . . . as far north as the NSW Central Coast and south to Wollongong."
He said the maximum penalty for each of the offences was up to five years' jail.
The value of the scam is so far estimated at $80,000.
Word of mouth, the internet and chain letters were all being considered as ways the details of the ruse had been circulated.
More than 30 people have been taken into custody, and it was expected many more would be interviewed by tomorrow.
Three days have already been set aside for later this month and early next month by various local courts to hear the hundreds of charges expected to be laid.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/motorists-charged-over-fine-excuses/2006/11/11/11SpamSpamSpam61949584.html